Chapter 101
Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Enigma Auction Scramble (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
An Orb, a mana amplifier said to have been used by a great archmage.
Even in its broken state, its value was simply incalculable.
If it was cherished by a great archmage, its purity and performance were all but guaranteed.
Besides, it was impossible to create an Orb with Earth's materials and environment.
In other words, the Orb was a rare item one couldn't easily find anywhere.
Thus, those who recognized its identity and value couldn't hide their excitement.
“Oh…! To think I’d see an Orb in a place like this!”
“This is certainly worth collecting…”
“With that, I could cast high-level magic even on Earth…!”
A feverish excitement rippled through the audience seats facing the stage.
The metahumans, whose excitement was palpable even behind their masks, couldn't tear their eyes away from the Orb.
Well, such a reaction was understandable.
On Earth, where mana in the atmosphere is scarce, the ability to amplify it was an irreplaceable asset.
Even if it was broken for some reason and couldn't perform at its peak.
Even a slight magical boost would make it an alluring item for mages.
‘Still, to find a trace of an Invader in a place like this…’
For me, however, the Orb's immense value was irrelevant.
The only thing that mattered was the familiar sensation emanating from the metal embedded within it.
I mean, if something like that was going to be stuck in an item, why couldn't it have been in some piece of junk no one cared about?
Why did it have to be inside the great archmage's Orb, an item coveted by so many?
‘Hmm… Then again, maybe it’s only natural.’
A great archmage wasn't called 'great' for nothing.
They stood at the pinnacle of magic, capable of single-handedly wiping out armies with their grand spells.
Naturally, an Orb used by such a figure wouldn't be easily damaged.
What else could it have been but the Invaders who destroyed worlds?
But even understanding the reason didn't make my headache go away.
Because no matter how I thought about it, there was no way for me to obtain the Orb that held the trace of an Invader.
Even the junk sold at auction just moments ago cost more than I could earn in several years.
So, a great archmage's Orb that was both practically useful and highly collectible?
I couldn't even begin to guess the final price. In other words, a direct approach through the auction was impossible.
So, steal it? In a hotel filled with Fixers, such a rash attempt would never succeed.
And even if I did succeed, they would likely use every means at their disposal to hunt down the thief. Ugh, just imagining it is terrifying.
“Wow, that’s amazing. I never expected to see an Orb here. I wonder how much it’ll sell for?”
“It’ll probably be the most expensive item so far. Maybe the price of a few apartments?”
“Haha… Since it’s broken, maybe it won’t fetch that much?”
“…”
Alice and Sabrina, sitting right next to me, whispered to each other.
It seemed that even for them, two active metahumans, seeing an Orb was a rare occasion.
Hmm, so others also think it’s going to be expensive.
I tapped my fingers on the bidding device attached to the armrest of my chair.
Without taking my eyes off the Orb, I quietly asked the Tesseract hanging around my neck.
‘Tesseract, do you feel a familiar sensation from that item up there?’
[ Huh? …I dunno! Only Mama can do that! ]
‘Echo?’
[ I, I’m not sure… sir? ]
It seemed neither Tesseract nor Echo had any idea.
Could it be that I'm the only one who can hear this voice that seems to tickle my ears?
It was certainly strange. Being able to hear Tesseract and Echo's voices was one thing.
Previously, I had also detected an Invader fragment that had unknowingly ended up in Raven's pants.
How should I interpret this? Perhaps the curse placed upon me is…
“Now then, we will begin the auction for our eighth item, the ‘Great Archmage’s Orb’! The starting bid is 100,000 credits!”
While I was lost in thought, the auction preparations seemed to have finished.
The bidder's number and the amount appeared on the large screen on stage.
The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, the bidding devices at each seat activated.
The amount on the screen began to climb at an unbelievable speed.
This Enigma Auction was an anonymous one where masks were mandatory.
Bidders were identified not by name, but by their seat number.
Perhaps they all thought this was their only chance to get their hands on it.
The magic-related metahumans, in particular, looked ready to spend every last credit they had to acquire it.
“Whoa, this is insane. It’s already passed a million. Is everyone here rich except us?”
“At this rate, it’ll hit ten million in no time.”
Murmurs spread through the audience as they watched the price climb at an extraordinary pace.
Not only had it already surpassed the highest bid of any previous item, but the numbers also just kept rising.
When the price actually surpassed 10 million credits—enough to buy a top-tier sports car—gasps of shock filled the air.
‘They have that much money? Well… whatever. I need to do what I have to do.’
While everyone was glued to the screen displaying the price,
I smoothly and naturally slipped my hand into my pocket.
Then I discreetly took out Echo and placed her on top of the bidding device.
‘Echo. Can you hack the device and find out who wins the Orb?’
[ That’s not a difficult task. ]
‘I’m not too worried, but you absolutely cannot get caught. Be careful.’
[ I will keep that in mind. ]
My target was, after all, the suspicious object embedded inside the Orb.
So, my plan was to somehow sneak out just that object when the Orb was being handed over to its new owner.
However, to do that, it was crucial to first know who the Orb was going to.
Echo should be able to hack the device and uncover the identity of the anonymous bidder.
All sorts of hackers were probably on high alert, looking for intruders.
It struck me again how fortunate I was to have gotten Echo from the black market.
- Bidder 276 / 26,900,000 Credits.
- Bidder 1 / 28,500,000 Credits.
- Bidder 33 / 30,000,000 Credits.
‘Wow… this is insane. I don’t know the exact exchange rate, but that’s an astronomical sum. And it shows no signs of stopping?’
Seriously, how much money do these people have? Am I the only one who's broke?
The price was climbing to such dizzying heights that my head started to spin.
Still, I suppose everyone's funds have a limit.
The bidding, which had been skyrocketing, finally began to falter as it approached 300 million credits.
Perhaps if the Orb were in perfect condition, it would be a different story.
But it seemed they were hesitant to recklessly buy an Orb that was cracked with something embedded inside.
If they bought it only for it to shatter after ten uses, they'd have no one to complain to.
Anyway, 300 million credits. That’s truly insane. Are they a tycoon or something?
Shaking my head in disbelief, I quietly asked Echo.
‘Who’s Bidder 33, the one who just bid 300 million credits?’
[ Ah, yes. I’ll check. …Found her. Rakia Olivier. 27 years old, female. According to my research, she is the eldest daughter of the Olivier family, a corporation at the pinnacle of the arms industry. As she is human, not a metahuman, her purpose is likely collecting rare items. Looking at her financial information, 300 million credits appears to be the limit of what she can pay right now. ]
So the one paying such an exorbitant price was a human, not a metahuman.
Wait, Echo. You can even tell that’s her payment limit?
As I marveled at Echo's usefulness, which made me not even envious of David,
to my surprise, the bidder number on the screen changed, and the price rose once more.
- Bidder 276 / 310,000,000 Credits
“Kuh…!”
The bid increased again, accompanied by the faint sound of a woman's groan.
So this is a money fight between the rich. The staggering amount made my eyes widen.
‘Echo, what about Bidder 276?’
[ Yanagi Tamamo. 17 years old, female. She's an exceptional case at the International Academy, having been selected as the next student council president as a first-year. She is known as the strongest mage on campus, with skills far surpassing most adults. Her motive for purchase is likely a mage's curiosity. She is favored by the Yanagi family and has the ability to pay more than 310 million credits. ]
‘What, she’s the one who bid?’
I pictured the lavender-haired woman I had run into in front of the hotel.
Alice's childhood friend, and a magical prodigy with a complicated past in many ways.
As a first-rate mage and the daughter of a prominent modern noble family,
she certainly had both the means and the motive to purchase the Orb.
‘Hmm, this is a problem. If it goes to her… how am I supposed get the thing out of the Orb?’
As a mage, Tamamo's talent was monstrous, ranking among the best even in the world of Fixers.
If it had been the previous bidder, a normal person, I might have tried sneaking in at night to steal it…
But sneaking into the room of someone who's the student council president of the International Academy?
The difficulty level for that was just too high.
“Three, two, one… Sold! The lucky winner who has acquired the Orb for 310 million credits is Bidder 276! Number 276! Congratulations!”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap!*
But there was no reversal. Bidder 33 couldn't afford to pay more than 300 million credits.
The Great Archmage's Orb was sold to Tamamo for the price of 310 million credits.
What followed was a round of loud applause that filled the auction house, as if to say they'd witnessed a good show.
Well, with a price tag of 300 million credits, most people never stood a chance anyway. It must have been fun to watch.
Still, to think a high school student could casually pay that kind of money.
It felt so surreal. To be honest, I was a little envious.
“Wow… that’s incredible. Bidder 276. 310 million credits… They must be incredibly rich, huh?”
Alice muttered to herself, completely unaware that Bidder 276 was Tamamo, the girl she had met in front of the hotel.
From my perspective, this just made retrieving the object inside the Orb so much more difficult that my head was starting to ache.
But the situation changed in an instant.
From the floor of the dimly lit auction hall, a faint smoke suddenly began to rise.
Was this part of the show? As that thought naturally crossed my mind, I heard the thuds of people collapsing from various spots in the audience.
“Ugh…! Gas?!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Everyone, get up!”
I shot up reflexively, my eyes darting around.
Just then, an unmasked group, who must have been hiding somewhere, suddenly stormed in.
My eyes fell on people lying motionless on the floor and others screaming in confusion.
This was, for anyone with a shred of sense, clearly a crisis.